​Twilight Festival Raffle: We are fortunate at Lowther Hall to be supported by an active and vibrant Parents and Friends’ Association whose members work hard to support our school. As you would be aware, preparations are well underway for this year’s Twilight Festival and we have already had many wonderful donations and volunteers come forward to assist.

At Lowther Hall the physical, emotional and social safety of our girls is vitally important to everyone. We have policies and practices in place which support our commitment to child safety and also foster a culture which seeks to be proactive in creating a secure environment for the students, for example, our recruitment practices, OH & S requirements and mandatory reporting policies.

Congratulations to all of our 2017 Prefects. We wish them well as they undertake their leadership positions next year. I commend all girls who took the considered risk of putting themselves forward for leadership positions. The new Prefect Body will formally take up their roles in Term 4 following their commissioning.

Congratulations to the Girls’ Voices of the Cathedral Choir for their historic debut, singing Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral Wednesday night. It was wonderful to have so many members of the School community supporting the girls

We are extraordinarily proud of our Year 7 student Breanna who has demonstrated the true Non Nobis Solum spirit! When the Make-A-Wish Australia foundation granted Breanna a wish, she decided that she wanted to do something to help seriously ill children.

I am delighted that this week we are able to officially launch the School’s 2016 Twilight Festival! I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Parents and Friends for all the work that has already been undertaken to plan this wonderful event.

It has been truly delightful to have returned from my sabbatical leave and to have commenced Term 3 with our committed staff and enthusiastic girls this week! In our whole school assembly on Wednesday I shared some reflections from my travels – and particularly the heightened awareness of cultural differences that come into play when you travel from one country to another. At Lowther Hall we are a culturally diverse community and this was demonstrated tangibly in assembly. Firstly, when girls from different cultural backgrounds shared some things that are special to them about their cultural heritage, and particularly when we enacted a human “graphing” exercise in the Cultural Centre with staff and students standing up to represent the country they, their parents or grandparents had been born in. The pride amongst the girls and the excitement at discovering the richness of our school’s cultural make up were palpable! Secondly, we were privileged to hear from girls who have different religious affiliations as they spoke about the way in which their beliefs impact their lives and how they live out their faith. Celebrating our diversity will continue to be a theme for us at the School this term.
Director of Development and Community Engagement
This term we have welcomed Mr Stewart Brook, Director of Development and Community Engagement who will be working with me and other members of the Community Relations Department to ensure that we have strong communication and support across all areas of the school community – parents, students, staff, old grammarians, past parents and foundation members. Stewart will be introducing himself to groups across the School in the coming weeks and is already enjoying hearing from various stakeholders about their special Lowther Hall connections.
Building works
You may have noticed that works have now commenced on the new Early Learning Centre, with the establishment of site sheds and the first steps in demolition underway. I look forward to sharing further details of this project with you in the weeks to come. The Cultural Centre refurbishment has also been progressing in the background. Last term we sought advice regarding the implementation of a new heating and cooling system. At this stage, we are continuing to explore further options and again, I will provide further details during the term.
Voices of the Cathedral
I hope that many of you will be joining us at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday 3 August when the girls sing at their first Evensong service. A reminder that reply slips for the girls attending were due to be returned at the end of last term. Please contact the School if you require another copy of the circular.
Best wishes for the remainder of the term
We are only four days into term and already there is so much happening! I look forward to seeing many of you at the forthcoming events and to working with girls and families in our shared mission.